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Who was the Missouri Boys XC Runner of the Year? MileSplit Missouri is going to let you decide! Over the next couple of weeks, you will be able to vote on who you think deserves to be named the MileSplit Missouri Boys XC Runner of the Year.
Round one begins today, and you will be able to vote through Friday, December 17th to decide which two runners advance to the finals.
2021 Missouri Boys XC Rankings | 2021 Missouri State XC Photos and Videos
Match-Up One
Andrew Hauser (Rock Bridge)
Hauser had a massive sophomore season and kept getting better as the year went on. He captured the Class 5 Boys State Title, setting a new Gans Creek course record in the process with a time of 14:52. He then followed that up with a victory at the NXR Midwest regionals against some of the best competition in the Midwestern United States. He capped the season off last week placing 25th at the Garmin Running Lane National Championships, running a new state cross country record of 14:38.
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Caleb Lind (Lutheran - St. Charles)
Caleb finished off his high school cross country career with a very strong season in 2021. He earned the AAA Conference Championship, Class 4 District 3 Championship, and the Class 4 State Championship along with three other victories on the season. His season-best time of 15:09 from the Gans Creek Classic was the sixth-fastest time in Missouri this season.
Missouri's Top Returning XC Boys in 2022 | Most Improved Boys XC Runners of 2021
Match-Up Two
Connor Burns (Southern Boone)
The Southern Boone junior had an absolutely dominant year in 2021. He never lost to a Missourian, and his worst finish all around was a second-place finish down in Arkansas at the Chili Pepper XC Festival where he lost by less than a second. He won all eight of his other races including a Tri-County Conference Championship, Class 3 District 3 Championship, and Class 3 State Championship. His season-best time of 14:56 was the fourth-fastest time of the season, though he led the state for the majority of the season.
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Sage Wilde (Liberty North)
With a breakout sophomore season, Sage Wilde put himself on the map in 2021. Always near the front of the field, Wilde never finished worse than fifth on the season. He earned the Class 5 District 4 Championship and wrapped up his season at the Garmin Running Lane National Championships with a 33rd place finish with a time of 14:42. That time sits as the second-fastest time ever run by a Missouri high schooler.